LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Government headed by her arch rival Mulayam Singh Yadav has given a clean chit to BSP Chief Mayawati in the Taj Corridor case for the second time after a new probe panel said there were no irregularities in the Rs.5,000 crore project prima facie.

The report of the one-man Commission by retired High Court judge Justice Sidheswar Narain was accepted by the State Cabinet in its meeting here presided over by the Chief Minister, highly placed sources said here on Saturday.

Allegations

The Taj Expressway Project set up by the then Mayawati Government in 2003, envisaged construction of 182 km Expressway along the eastern bank of the Yamuna river connecting Agra with NOIDA with an objective of easing the traffic on the National Highway 2 and the contract was awarded to one JP Industries.

There were allegations of irregularities in the land acquisition and the award of the contract and an inquiry commission was set by the Mulayam government which took over in August 2003, soon after the project was set awarded. The Commission headed by justice A P Mishra gave a clean chit to Mayawati but its report was quashed by the Allahabad High Court after which the State Government constituted another Commission of Inquiry under Justice Sidheswar Narain which also absolved Mayawati in the case.

Contract

The Cabinet, while accepting the findings of Narain Committee, has again awarded the contract to the JP group, the sources said.- PTI

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